Whether you are an organisation, corporate or an individual, whether you sell products or offer services, a trade show (or exhibition) is the quickest and the most economical mode to address a focused target audience. At a trade show, you can:

• Build your company's image and promote product or service awareness.
• Research and understand a new market.
• Easily build relationships with customers as you come face to face with them, and can deal with their needs on an individual basis.
• Understand what your buyer is looking for, and become aware of the market trends.
• Sell your product in a new market.
• View competitors' product offerings and gain a sense of comparative weaknesses and strengths.
• Get to speak to a highly focused audience segment and have the opportunity to generate leads and cut better deals.
• Obtain new ideas and improvements for your product in other markets.
• Identify agents, distributors and retailers for your product in the marketplace.
• Identify market niches.

By utilising the power of face to face interaction, international and local exhibitors and visitors are given the opportunity to disseminate scientific information and the latest trends within a specific industry. Trade shows provide a great forum to stimulate trade and growth in specific sectors of the market. They are the best way to see exactly what a product looks like, evaluate how it works and are the easiest and most convenient way to assess competitive products.

Trade shows are the best chance you have to come in direct contact with your customers or if you’re an attendee, with your suppliers. This personalised communication that a trade show provides establishes a good rapport between customer and exhibitor. The customer understands the product or service better, and the exhibitor gets a clear idea of what the customer needs.

Since dialogue and feedback at a trade show is instantaneous, the chances of striking profitable deals on the trade show floor are better than through other means of communication. This is why trade shows should form an important part of your communication and marketing strategy and can work wonders for your business.

In a recent survey conducted by the Centre for Exhibition Industry Research the results showed that more than 90% of attendees rated trade shows as the most useful source of gathering pertinent information because they can examine and evaluate competing products all at one location. As a result, more than 75% of the attendees find new suppliers and obtain quotes with 26% of them purchasing products whilst at trade shows.

Sales and marketing executives have many tools to choose from in trying to reach their marketing objectives. Data shows that trade shows are among the most cost-effective in their arsenal.

The Centre for Exhibition Industry Research (www.ceir.org) recently released the results of a landmark study on Maximising the Role of Exhibition in the Total Marketing Mix - The Power of Exhibitions!

Among the findings was the fact that of the companies that integrate trade shows as part of their overall marketing budget, expenditure for trade shows ranks second only to that spent on direct/field sales expenses and ahead of advertising, direct mail, public relations and telemarketing expenditures.

By industry, the percentage of the marketing budget spent on trade shows is as follows:

                     High tech ...... 18.0%

                     Food/bev ....... 17.0%

                     Mfg/tools ...... 18.6%

                     Health care .... 21.3%

In all cases, expenditures for trade shows ranked next to the top in dollars budgeted.

Research and statistics have revealed that trade shows get better business results than advertising and direct mail. The overall Effectiveness of Marketing Components according to % of Respondents to a survey showed:

                                   Exhibitions      Advertising       Direct Mail    

Generating sales leads                        38.8%              27.4%              19.9%

Introducing new products/services     41.7%              23.8%              27.6%

Taking orders                                     11.9%                4.9%                8.3%

Promoting brand image                       41.8%              43.4%              18.7%

Promoting company image                  32.9%              31.8%              22.0%

Entering new markets                         27.7%              24.8%              24.5%

Source: CEIR, "The Power of Exhibitions II," 1996

Companies that have the vision to see the complete marketing program will gain a greater benefit on the bottom line than will those who only look at marketing as a piecemeal exercise.

For those companies that have experienced the benefits of trade shows, there is the desire to improve upon presentation techniques, display choices and upgrade what they have been doing for some time. For the newcomer, the marketing plan should be upgraded to include trade shows as an integral tool.

Trade Shows are fast becoming the tool of choice for companies targeting real buyers. Many successful companies have recognised their power and, apart from direct sales, they are investing more dollars in this area than any other part of their marketing mix.

Consider this: Over 85% of the average trade show audience is made up of final decision-makers and those who influence the purchase of products and services. In addition, over 50% of all qualified sales leads are closed during a trade show, without the need for additional "face to face" contact (sources: Exhibit Surveys Inc. 1996; Trade Show Bureau). These statistics reinforce the importance of making trade show participation an integral part of the marketing mix.

Compared to trade publications and sales representatives, attendees say trade shows:

Provide the best opportunity to see exactly what a product looks like.

Provide the best opportunity to evaluate how a product works.

Are the easiest way to evaluate competitive products.

Are the most convenient way to find out who makes the types of products you want.

While exhibitors say...

Trade Shows Are More Effective Than Other Marketing Tools. The power and versatility of trade shows play a vital role in marketing/sales plans

Trade Shows Are Cost-Effective. Because of the high level of interaction with customers they are used almost as much as direct/field sales, but consume far less of an average marketing budget.

Trade shows work best when backed by a plan. A carefully crafted, integrated trade show marketing plan produces the best results. The Power of Exhibitions II study found that marketing & sales executives who integrated other marketing tools into their trade show plan achieved the best results.

With all the various marketing tools available like advertising, direct mail and telemarketing, trade shows are still far and above the most efficient vehicle for achieving sales objectives, because they afford you the opportunity for personal contact with many real buyers under one roof at one time...and the buyers are ready to buy!

Your chances of generating strong business leads or gaining an entry into a new market are much greater at a trade show since you can present your product and develop rapport in a manner not conducive with other marketing methods.